Question

What is the sound of one hand clapping?

 

Wave

 

Silence

 

half a clap

 

Ohmmm

 

There is no such thing as one hand clapping. If two hands clap against each other, which one is the clapper? And how did you determine that?

 

If ya gotta ask, ya'll never know. Taking koans literally is a sure route to insanity. Meditate on it, take two asprin, and call us in the morning.

 

The very first time I saw thay Simpsons episode, I of course tried it. And I can make a noise from it. - shrug-

 

No one has taken it literally. All that's happened here is that rather than offer your own answer, you've decided to be critical of someone who did offer an answer. But since it seems to have gone over your head, I'll refine my answer for you. If a hand is clapping, that means that there is another hand involved. Where, in the koan, were you told that the other hand is not present? You were fooled by your own assumption, and you made a simple thing complicated, which no amount of aspirin will help.

And if you ever really familiarize yourself with koans, you will know that some are absolutely to be taken literally. Whoever told you otherwise is wrong. And if you would like, I could give you a few examples.

 

Is that a given? What if a hand is clapping against some kind of object. I'm now imagining a hand out of the car window clapping against the door due to gravitational pressure :-D

 

The question is not whether or not it is a given. The question is whether or not it was ever taken away. And the answer to that question is no.

And a hand against a car door makes a bonk sound, not a clap. Besides, cars didn't exist when that koan was made, so your answer can't be right.

 

What if the wrist is broken?

 

Doesn't matter. It'll still make a bonk sound on the car door . . . or maybe a cracking sound coming from the wrist, but not a clapping sound.

On a related matter, if a hand bonks against a car door, and no one is there to hear it, will it make a sound? Will it hurt?

 

Hm i doubt it. But ok, it doesn't have to be a car door. Just a hand on an arm with broken wrist clapping merrily in the wind :-D

 

. . .

 

I stand corrected. Actually I sit corrected . . . because I won't stand for it.

 

That happened to me once. That master learned the hard way that I hate when that happens.